What the heck is non-comedogenic?

If you have oily skin or problems with acne, you’ve probably come across this term on some of your skincare products. Essentially, non-comedogenic refers to products that don’t clog your pores.

A comodone is a blackhead or a whitehead. It follows that comedogenic substances, including certain make-ups and oils, cause pores to clog, leading to acne breakouts.

When looking for products to use on your skin, particularly on your face, it’s important to find products that are non-comedogenic, but this may be more of a trial and error process than something you can determine from a label. As of now, the FDA does not have a definition for the term non-comedogenic, nor a defined list of which ingredients can and cannot be labeled as such—in fact, no regulation of the sort can be found anywhere in the world. That means that it’s up to individual companies to determine if their products can be considered non-comedogenic, which is always a tricky situation.

Rather than getting caught up in fancy words meant to distract you from the actual formula, take a look at the ingredients themselves. Familiarize yourself with which ingredients affect your skin positively (and negatively) by sampling different ones and sticking to simple, natural products. By isolating different ingredients and testing them against your skin type, you can define your own list what’s non-comedogenic, and shop according to your skin’s needs.